Most types of printing devices are equipped with items that are used up and/or have a life cycle during printing operations. These items can include one or more printing supplies, a printing media (e.g. paper) available to be printed on during the printing, a printing substance (e.g. ink, toner, etc.) available for application to the printing media during the printing, a laser printer drum, a laser printer developer, a laser printer fuser, a printing media transfer belt, staples for stapling the printing media during the printing process, a storage volume that is available to store paper that has been printed on by the printing device, and the like. These items are referred to herein as replaceable components. When a replaceable component is exhausted or is at the end of its life cycle, the replaceable component must be replaced for the printing device to continue to function properly. For example, a replaceable component such as a toner cartridge can be refilled when it is exhausted, or a toner cartridge that is out of toner can be removed from a printing device and a full toner cartridge can then be installed in the printing device to provide a toner for further printing operations.
Replaceable components can be manufactured with memory which can be placed on the replaceable component itself or within a label affixed to the replaceable component. This memory is typically used to store printer-related data that the printer reads to determine various printing parameters. For example, the memory may store the model number of a toner cartridge so that the printer may recognize the toner cartridge as valid or invalid for use with that printer. Other examples of memory storage include printer firmware revisions, a list of accessories installed in the printer (e.g. input trays, output bins, extra memory, network card(s) etc.), the date and place of manufacture, etc.) Printer usage data may also be stored in the memory. As documents are printed, the printer usage data is accumulated in the memory as the replaceable component is used in the printing operations of the printer. The printer can communicate with the memory in the replaceable component to determine and interpret the data in the memory. A drawback of this arrangement is that this data cannot be retrieved unless the replaceable component is installed in a printing device. Consequently, there is a need for improved methods, replaceable components, and systems that provide communication with memory in a replaceable component without requiring a printing device.